Trump's ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion  —  On Wednesday, the Trump administration sent letters to nine major universities proposing a “compact.”  As The Times reports, the agreement would, among other things, require these universities to freeze tuition rates for five years …

ICEBlock Owner After Apple Removes App: ‘We Are Determined to Fight This’  —  The developer of ICEBlock, an app that lets people crowdsource sightings of ICE officials, has said he is determined to fight back after Apple removed the app from its App Store on Thursday.

Jeanne Shaheen is Democrats' shutdown whisperer … Earlier this year, Shaheen was one of the 10 Democrats who helped advance a GOP-written stopgap to avoid a March shutdown — and one of two members of the caucus who ultimately voted for it.  This time around, she's holding out as she works …

Trump ‘Determined’ the U.S. Is Now in a War With Drug Cartels, Congress Is Told  —  A notice calls the people the U.S. military recently killed on suspicion of drug smuggling in the Caribbean Sea “unlawful combatants.”  —  President Trump has decided that the United States is engaged in a formal …

After Declining to Give Trump a Sword for King Charles, a Museum Leader Is Out  —  The departure of Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, came after the administration sought a sword from its collection as a gift for King Charles.

Dave Chappelle Criticizes Free Speech in America at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival  —  “It's easier to talk here than it is in America,” the comedian told an audience at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. … The comedian was one of more than 50 performers participating in the event …

Paramount Officially Acquiring The Free Press and Making Bari Weiss CBS News Editor in Chief: Report  —  Paramount Skydance will be officially acquiring The Free Press and hiring its founder Bari Weiss as editor in chief of its CBS News division, with the deal to be announced this coming Monday …

Kash Patel fires FBI agent trainee for displaying gay pride flag  —  The FBI employee was fired on the first day of the government shutdown as President Trump threatened more terminations.  —  FBI Director Kash Patel on Wednesday fired an agent in training for displaying a gay pride flag …

ICE Agents Rappel from Helicopter in Overnight Chicago Raid, Dragging Kids from Beds to U-Hauls  —  “It was heartbreaking to watch,” said a neighbor who described seeing “buck naked” children getting separated from their mothers during the raid on a South Side apartment building.

Raskin Statement on Trump Administration's Use of Federal Departments and Agencies for Propaganda Purposes; Possible Violations of the Hatch Act  —  Washington, D.C. - Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement:  —  “I have been contacted by numerous constituents outraged …

A Note About the Comey Case  —  In the wake of the Comey indictment, The Washington Post is reporting tonight that “Lawyers inside the high-profile U.S. attorney's office [for the Eastern District of Virginia] prosecuting former FBI director James B. Comey are unnerved by what they see as an unprecedented push …

Robert Morris, Texas megachurch pastor, pleads guilty to sexually abusing a child  —  Under a plea agreement, Morris was given a 10-year sentence, but he will serve only six months in an Oklahoma jail.  —  PAWHUSKA, Okla.— Robert Morris, the Texas megachurch pastor who built Gateway Church …

U.S. to expand intelligence assistance to Ukraine for strikes on Russian energy facilities  —  The move follows shifting rhetoric on the war from President Donald Trump, who has become more critical of Russia's chances of winning.  —  The Trump administration plans to provide additional intelligence …

Rejecting injustice: The jury's role in a politicized justice system  —  The acquittal of Brayan Ramos-Brito is more than just a legal victory for one individual; it is a powerful reaffirmation of the American jury system.  After a federal jury in Los Angeles took just over an hour …

South Shore Residents Return To Ransacked Apartments After ICE Raid: ‘It Looks Like Hell’  —  A “now renting” sign outside touts granite countertops.  Inside, residents are trying to make sense of the raid that made their already neglected building even worse.  — Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

White House Senses Political Risk on Healthcare Despite Shutdown Bravado  —  Trump aides are discussing proposals to extend Obamacare subsidies on which millions of Americans rely  —  Loading...  WASHINGTON—President Trump has projected unwavering confidence that he is winning the messaging war over the government shutdown.

Lewandowski weighs bid against Gov. Ayotte amid White House pressure campaign … POLITICO first reported that the White House is considering a primary challenger to Ayotte as the president's team ratchets up pressure on the first-term governor to follow other Republicans in redrawing congressional maps …

National Guard presence may deter crime, but experts warn of the long-term costs  —  As the Trump administration expands its anti-crime initiative aimed at Democratic-led cities, criminologists are watching to see how effective the federal interventions will be in deterring crime.

Nearly a third of Americans have had a ‘romantic relationship’ with an AI bot, new survey says  —  More than half of those surveyed (54 percent) said that they had some sort of relationship with an artificial intelligence platform  —  Your support helps us to tell the story